Marine Mammals of Maine

What Marine Mammals of Maine does

Marine Mammals of Maine (MMoME) is a 501c3 nonprofit organization founded in 2011 and headquartered in Bath, Maine, with a rehabilitation facility at 78 Water Street, Brunswick. MMoME is a NOAA Fisheries authorized marine mammal stranding network partner and operates Maine's only seal triage and rehabilitation center, alongside the only hospital for harbor seal pups along more than 6,000 miles of New England coastline. Its core operations span four workstreams: 24/7 emergency stranding response (via hotline 1-800-532-9551), seal triage and rehabilitation, community education and outreach, and field research including necropsies, disease monitoring, and post-release satellite tagging. Underlying capabilities include in-house diagnostic bloodwork for seal patients, partnerships that supply satellite tags from NOAA NEFSC and the Sea Mammal Research Unit Instrumentation Group, and a continuous Phocine Distemper Virus (PDV) monitoring dataset running 2016-2025 developed in collaboration with the University of Maine.

The organization's business model is donation-driven. MMoME receives no dedicated federal or state funding, relying instead on individual contributions, foundation grants (including repeat Avangrid Foundation support in 2024 and 2026 and historical John H. Prescott Grant funding), event-based fundraising (Ocean Commotion 5K, pup showers, benefit concerts, restaurant percentage-of-sales partnerships with Wild Oats Bakery and Rising Tide Co-op), planned giving and bequests, and merchandise sales through Spreadshirt. Services are provided free of charge to the public. In 2023, MMoME responded to 376 individual animals, admitted 42 seals for care, performed 22 full necropsies, sampled 81 unique animal cases, and delivered more than 42 educational outreach events; the organization celebrated its 100th rehabilitated seal release in December 2025. Strategic research and operational partnerships include NOAA NEFSC, the International Fund for Animal Welfare, University of Maine, Center for Coastal Studies Marine Animal Entanglement Response Team, and Marine Mammal Alliance Nantucket, alongside corporate partners LL Bean and Maine Celtics.

Name

Marine Mammals of Maine

Legal name

Marine Mammals of Maine

Website

https://mmome.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Marine Mammals of Maine is a 501c3 nonprofit and NOAA-authorized stranding network partner that operates Maine's only seal triage and rehabilitation facility, delivering 24/7 response, veterinary care, education, and disease research for marine mammals along the New England coast.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Rehabilitation Services

NAICS

Veterinary Services (54194)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Mobile & Emergency Veterinary Services (AFAEANAH)

Keywords

• Marine mammal rescue
• Wildlife rehabilitation services
• Stranding response
• Seal rehabilitation
• Marine conservation education

Headquarters

HQ city

Bath

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: The organization operates as a 501c3 nonprofit relying entirely on donations from individuals, businesses, and foundations. No dedicated federal or state funding is received, though competitive grants like the John H. Prescott Grant have historically provided critical support.
2. Event Fundraising: Annual events including the Ocean Commotion 5K, pup showers, benefit concerts, restaurant fundraisers, and community partnerships generate revenue through registrations, donations, and percentage of sales.
3. Planned Giving and Bequests: Legacy giving programs including will bequests, beneficiary designations in retirement and insurance plans, and planned gift arrangements.
4. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise through the organization's Spreadshirt shop.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Marine Mammals of Maine provides 24/7 emergency response, triage, and rehabilitation services for stranded, sick, injured, and abandoned marine mammals and sea turtles along the Maine coast. Operating Maine's only seal rehabilitation facility, the organization combines hands-on animal care with community education and collaborative field research. All services are delivered free of charge to the public, funded through donations, grants, and fundraising events.

Product overview

Marine Mammals of Maine operates as a non-profit organization using a four-pronged approach: stranding response, triage and rehabilitation, community outreach and education, and research. The organization's primary offerings include a 24/7 stranding hotline (1-800-532-9551), a triage and rehabilitation facility for seals (located at 78 Water Street Brunswick, ME), community education programs including library presentations and the 'A Seal's Journey' presentation series, field research collaborations including satellite tagging of seals, and the annual Ocean Commotion 5K fundraising event.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Stranded Animal Response

Quantifiable outcome

• 376 individual marine animals responded to in 2023 alone via hotline reports
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Northeast Fisheries Science Center - Instrumentation GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 June 2025Provides satellite tags for post-release tracking of rehabilitated seals. Tags are applied to harp seals and other species to monitor movements, habitat use, and post-release survival in collaboration with MMoME's rehabilitation program.
• University of Maine (Dr. Kristina Cammen)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-year collaboration with Dr. Kristina Cammen at the University of Maine to study Phocine Distemper Virus (PDV). MMoME provides field data and diagnostic samples while the university conducts scientific analysis to understand seal susceptibility to viral disease outbreaks.
• Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNOAA-affiliated research center leading the Northwest Atlantic Pinniped Health Assessment project. MMoME participates in the seal sampling team, collecting biological data and diagnostic samples from wild seals and applying satellite tracking tags. Data informs abundance, habitat usage, and health research.
• International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarine mammal stranding network partner providing training and support. MMoME staff travel to IFAW facility on Cape Cod for cetacean stranding training with 12 different stranding response organizations. IFAW also transfers seals to MMoME for rehabilitation.
• Center for Wildlife (York, Maine)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrivate nonprofit wildlife rehabilitation and education organization in York, Maine. MMoME and Center for Wildlife Executive Directors and Development Coordinators share experiences and best practices for running wildlife conservation organizations.
• Sea Mammal Research Unit Instrumentation GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner providing satellite tagging instrumentation for tracking post-release movements of rehabilitated marine mammals, contributing data on habitat use and migration patterns.
• Center for Coastal Studies Marine Animal Entanglement Response TeamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners on whale entanglement cases in the region. MMoME coordinates with this team and NOAA on live entangled free-swimming whales, providing post-mortem evaluations when animals strand or are resighted deceased.
• LL BeanminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured nonprofit partner at Maine Celtics game in Portland. MMoME staff attended to meet supporters, share information about Maine's marine mammals, and raise awareness for the organization.
• Maine CelticsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProfessional basketball team hosting MMoME as featured nonprofit at a home game. Executive Director Lynda Doughty delivered the game ball as part of the partnership.
• Marine Mammal Alliance NantucketminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNantucket-based stranding response organization that transported a gray seal pup to MMoME for rehabilitation when no rehab spots were available closer to the animal's location.
• NOAA Fisheries Science CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided satellite tag for tracking a rehabilitated hooded seal. Data fills critical gaps for this poorly understood species in the southern-most range of its habitat.
• Wild Oats Bakery (Brunswick)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal bakery hosts Pup Shower events and seasonal fundraising initiatives including the Salted Seal iced latte promotion with 100% of proceeds donated to MMoME.
• Rising Tide Co-opminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDamariscotta cooperative selected MMoME as Co-op for Community Day partner for May 2024, receiving 0.5% of Wednesday sales and hosting in-store communications and meet-and-greets.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW): Operates a marine mammal rescue and research program on Cape Cod and is an active training/transfer partner of MMoME. Same regulatory standing as a NOAA stranding network partner and overlapping geographic footprint in New England.
• Marine Mammal Alliance Nantucket: Nantucket-based stranding response organization that has transferred patients to MMoME for rehabilitation. Directly comparable service offering at smaller geographic scale in the same New England region.
• Pacific Marine Mammal Center: Laguna Beach, CA marine mammal rescue, rehabilitation, and education nonprofit. Same four-pillar mission model (response, rehab, research, education) and comparable donor-funded nonprofit structure.
• The Marine Mammal Center: Largest marine mammal hospital in the world, based in Sausalito, CA. Directly comparable mission—stranding response, veterinary rehabilitation, research, and education—with a more mature operating model and broader donor base.
• Center for Wildlife: Wildlife rehabilitation and education nonprofit in York, Maine. MMoME explicitly shares executive and development best practices with this organization, indicating tight mission and operating model overlap in the same state.
• National Marine Life Center: Marine animal hospital in Bourne, MA focused on rehabilitation, stranding response, and education along the New England coast. Closest geographic peer and a direct substitute facility for seal and sea turtle rehabilitation.
• Center for Coastal Studies Marine Animal Entanglement Response: Cape Cod-based entanglement response team that MMoME coordinates with on whale cases. Comparable mission overlap (live whale response, post-mortem evaluation, public education) within the same regional response network.

Broad incumbents

• New England Aquarium: Major aquarium with a marine animal rescue and research program covering the New England region. Broader institutional scope than MMoME, but overlapping audience, conservation mission, and donor base in the same geography.
• Mystic Aquarium: Large aquarium and marine animal institution with an active marine mammal rescue and research program. Broader portfolio than MMoME but operates an overlapping stranding response and education function in the Northeast.

Others

• NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office: Federal regulator and research partner that authorizes MMoME as a stranding network partner. Not a direct peer but the key ecosystem counterparty defining MMoME's regulatory scope and research collaboration pipeline.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC_oksL573Jjc697TllJVJHA
• Facebookfacebook.com/MarineMammalsofME
• Instagraminstagram.com/marinemammalsofme

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Marine Mammals of Maine